The Dos And Don'ts Of Sneakers

AskMen.com

Some useful tips on how to choose (and wear) sneakers without committing a fashion faux pas. After recently getting sore feet after a day of wearing a pair of leather slip-ons (Renoma driving mocs, if you must know), I've been wearing sneakers almost everyday. Is it really so hard to find a comfortable pair of leather shoes? My previous pair of Hush Puppies were comfy (while they lasted). I heard there's a Bata sale going on at Tiong Bahru Plaza; maybe I'll visit to see see look look...

(p.s. sneakers above - Converse Monadnock Military Mid)

update: 8 August 2009 - p.p.s. Bata Warehouse Sale at Tiong Bahru Plaza wasn't very good. In and out in less than 5 minutes...

6 Ways To Wear A T-Shirt

AskMen.com
Apt info in the link above on T-shirts, as the relentless heat-wave continues here in Singapore. I'm really lucky to be able to wear T-shirts to work (everyday); pity those who have to wear their long-sleeve shirts and ties... Interested in the long-sleeved T-shirts by Uniqlo, S$19.90; I should visit them soon.

Business Casual

GQ: Project Upgrade

What's business casual in the US still seems a bit formal; I think very few men in Singapore (besides bankers) wear a suit or blazer to work regularly. Still a nice video though, with some nice ideas. I like the casual-looking belt. And khakis always helps you to stand out from the crowd of blank pants. :)

Black pants = Boring?

While standing in a crowded MRT train on the way to work, close your eyes and imagine your hand pointing to a random direction. Open your eyes in that direction and you will very likely see someone who is wearing black pants.

Boring? Well, yes and no.

Yes, if it's not well-fitted or has a texture that is either too shiny/too dull.

No, if you pay a bit more attention to details. What do I mean by well-fitted? For a start, the pants should not be too tight or too loose. Next, the pants should be worn at the waist.

But besides the above, there are a lot of variance you can inject into the classic black pants. Pinstripes are cool, and make your black pants stand out from the rest. There are also shades of black to try. Pockets are another area. Some pants use a front pocket design more akin to a jeans pocket. Do note that having a similar design on the back pocket immediately makes the pants into a casual pair of slacks.

While we're at pockets, try not to put too much stuff in the pockets. Beware of thick wallets (clear the junk) and big handphones. Also, remember to iron your pants properly (get the seams right) before wearing them.

And avoid pleats like the plague. Go for flat-fronted pants.

Dress code: Lounge Suit - What to wear?

The easy way out to "deal" with a lounge suit dress code is to wear a black or dark grey suit.

The easy way out is "out" for me. One, because I don't have an existing suit (any colour). Two, I don't really want to wear a "boring" dark colour suit.

Hold on a second. There are ways and means to vary a dark suit, so that it's a bit different, for example, wearing a dark shirt beneath the suit, or going for a pinstripe pattern. Or maybe wearing a slim leather tie.

But since I don't wear suits everyday (or every month), I'm not exactly relishing the thought of buying a suit just for such an occasion. I do have a dark blazer bought in Thailand a few years ago, but that is my backup plan. (in case I can't find the time to shop for alternatives)

By the way, the occasion is this Saturday, so I don't have much time to play with...

Do you need to buy that? Or do you have something similar already?

Warning: blog post that follows is only semi-related to men's fashion.

Previous posts have seen me talking about my search for the next purchase, either shoes, pants, or a watch. But maybe I should consider carefully before I spend money on another new purchase...

About a week ago, my mum showed me a pair of jeans, telling me to wear it (and try not to keep wearing the same clothes in my wardrobe).

I was in my usual nonchalant mood, and dismissive too, telling her that it probably was a hand-me-down from a relative, and that it looked too small to fit.

I ended up wearing it to work the very next day.

Lessons learned? Quite a few

• I should look at my wardrobe to see if I'm forgetting to wear clothes that I have, but haven't been wearing
  
• Being yourself at home doesn't mean I need to be caustic

By the way, the pair of jeans in question comes in a nice off-white (or cream) shade. I've been contemplating to purchase a pair of white jeans (or pants) to add to my wardrobe, but had been hesitating due to a few concerns.

This off-white colour is a nice compromise. I wore it with a white polo with horizontal-stripes, and my usual white sneakers. Another good pairing is with my pink shirt (and rolled-up sleeves).

Collect Your Staples

AskMen.com - AM Rule Refresher
Good advice; especially useful in the current financial crisis that the entire world is in now.

The Grey Cardigan Look

The Grey Cardigan Look
Some ideas on how to pair up a grey cardigan from the blog post above. Recently, I wore my recently bought grey cardigan to a wedding that specified a dress code of "Formal-ish".

I was keen not to wear the "usual" black pants, so it started from there. I wore my khaki pants with tan-coloured leather ankle boots.

I paired the above with a black long-sleeved shirt, a grey tie, and the grey cardigan. I was swaying between wearing a white or a black shirt, but decided to wear black eventually.

p.s. AskMen.com have a fresh article on a grey cardigan.

(Update: 3 May 2010)
Sheknowsbest seems to have "morph on", so I've copied the original text below for posterity.

The Grey Cardigan Look
By: Dexie | 10 Comments

I saw this cardigan over a pinstriped shirt and dark jeans look while perusing my husband’s April issue of Men’s Health. I thought it was defintely stylin’ until my eye caught the little corner where it showed how much the cashmere cardigan is from Generra. It’s cashmere so it only make sense that it’s $350. You add $60 for the pinstriped shirt from Express and $65 for the slim jeans from Levi’s then you have a $475 outfit. Whewwww.

Lucky for you, I’m here to show you the affordable way to get this look :)

This is still a cashmere cardigan so if you prefer to wear cashmere you can still do so with this $149.50 from Land’s End.

I found a version of the stripes button-up shirt from GAP for only $39.50.

And this dark-wash boot cut leg jeans from OLD NAVY for only $29.50.

Shoes? Wear any of your canvas pair, like the Chuck Taylor’s. As long as it’s not orange or yellow :) . So which version would you wear, the $475 one or the affordable pieces I picked? Either way, I’m sure you’d look just as great as the model ;) .

Updates long overdue

3 updates which I have procrastinated for a while

1. Brown loafers. I finally managed to find a suitable pair at a warehouse sale at Singapore Expo. Bought it for S$50. It's not perfect though, being a little too dark in colour, and a bit insufficient in cushioning (it's a bit like a driving moc)
2. Grey cardigan. I bought this last week in KL, was there for a company teambuilding session. Haven't had the chance to wear it yet.
   
3. "In Her Eyes" is offline. I should have seen the signals earlier. The RSS feed had remained un-updated (is there such a word) for 3 months. A recent visit to the website confirmed my worst fears. The blog is gone from the Men's Vogue website. A pity...
   

Getting the right mix

I wore one of my new shirts today, though not for the very first time. I paired the blue striped shirt with my grey slacks. As I was attending a talk after work (which meant more walking), I decided to complete the combo with my comfy white sneakers. I ended up looking quite unstylish.

Why? With the limiting factor of white sneakers, I should have chosen perhaps my pale jeans, which would match the white colour of the sneakers. Not only that, the jeans material matched the casual style of the sneakers.

The blue and grey combi can work, but with brown shoes, and preferably with dark grey slacks, not the cement grey shade of my grey slacks...

Oh well, there's always tomorrow. :)

black is the new black

Reviving (and finishing up) an old post (early 2008) previously stuck in draft mode...

Watches for men tend to be conservative in design and shade. This is especially so for office wear. The typical watch for looks like this.

The other common style would the above dial, but with a black leather strap. It's not very popular in Singapore, as our humid environment make it hard to maintain leather straps.

I've previously written about my favorite style, so I won't repeat it here.

What I wanted to highlight is the Black IP type of watch. 2 examples of this style below.

Espirit male attraction black


Casio Edifice EF-311BK-1AV

What do i like about this style? I like the colour and the contrast. First, instead of the typical metallic-silver colour, you get black, which is still safe enough a colour for work. Touches of colour (green or red above) make the watch stand out from the crowd too. Contrast? By that, I mean the reduction of contrast, something I mentioned previously. Black metal strap, black rim, black watch face...

What about what I'm currently wearing? I'm wearing my brother's Casio sports watch. Pathetic right? Time for some shopping?

Another candidate?

Bata
I'm frankly quite sick and tired of my search for a brown leather shoe. Having searched probably the entire island, I'm about to compromise and choose a shoe without a flat sole. The above Bata shoe (S$109) is in the driving seat at the moment...

How To Wear Jeans To Work

AskMen.com
I'm really lucky to be working in an office where everyday is casual Friday [fashion-wise only :)], but for those who have only one casual Firday a week, the above link provides some advice on how to pull off a stylish yet casual look with jeans. One thing I'll add to the advice; if you find wearing a T-shirt with jeans to be too casual, one solution is to pair it with a long sleeve shirt. There are also several options on how you want to wear your shirt; with sleeves rolled up, just the cuff folded, shirt tucked in (or out), top button unbuttoned... Go forth and experiment.:)

Is this it?

ecco.com - LOUNGE MOC
I wonder if this is the one. The brown slip-on that I've been looking for. A potential subsidy makes a purchase quite possible...

Brown with envy

Aldo Colombat
Saw this pair of shoes recently at a local Aldo store. I really like the look, but $195 (if I didn't remember the price wrongly) is on the wrong side of affordability for me...

Levi's Time - O.D.M

Levi's Time - O.D.M

Great looking watch... I like this model (LTD0901), the orange lettering look cool.

Getting the right fit

Let's get back to basics.

Sometimes, I find myself contemplating the purchase of a shirt or pants, even though the fit is not perfect. The reason?

Well, there are a few. Sometimes, it's because the colour is right, other times, it's because the item is selling at a bargain.

The problem? Well, sometimes, you regret your purchase, and you find yourself wearing the item less often. Advantage neutralised.

I wouldn't say that I'm a newbie when it comes to buying clothes or shoes, but I still get it wrong once in a while. Shirts that are a bit too small, shoes that are a bit too large... These are, I suppose, part and parcel of the learning process.

I have got to learn faster...

No easy shoe-in

Typing this blog post at a Long John Silver fast-food outlet after a long day of shopping (more like failure to shop...). I was looking for a pair of shoes for work.

It had to be

• leather (waterproof qualities)
  
• brown colour (suit my khaki and grey pants)
  
• flat outsole (easy for walking)
• slip-on loafer design (not as formal as a oxford, not as casual as a sneaker)
  
• preferably below S$100 (i'm not rich loh...)

I went to the following shops, located at various locations (plaza singapura, suntec, citylink mall, raffles city)

• everbest
• bata
• hush puppies
• aldo
  
• john little
• pedro
• beetlebug
• robinsons

And after such a long day, I ended up with no purchase, just a pair of aching feet. Maybe I'm just too picky.

I did see a nice cardigan at Fox Men, but it was selling at $49. Also spotted a sling bag (Le Coq Sportif - black PVC) at Royal Sporting House Suntec for $29.90. And anyway, that's another story...

Colour me the same way

Most workwear combinations use contrasting shades. e.g. white or light blue shirt with black pants. What if you tried changing that? White shirt with khaki pants (one of my favorite combinations), or dark maroon shirt with black pants (another personal favorite). Go forth and experiment.

I miss my corduroy pants

I had a pair of corduroy pants in beige colour, which I like to wear, because it looked casual, yet more formal than jeans. Well, they no longer fit... Time to find a new pair. Perhaps I can try another shade...white or cream?